Shoulder decisions — 2010

The Veteran's right shoulder strain has been rated at 10 percent since May 2005, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee and right shoulder disorders were aggravated by service, warranting service connection.,A current back disorder was not incurred in service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination, including Social Security Administration records and a VA examination of his right shoulder disability. The issue includes seeking an increased rating for his service-connected right shoulder condition and determining if he is entitled to TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing at the RO in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was not found to warrant a higher rating prior to June 18, 2004. As of that date, the disability warranted a 20 percent rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lumbar spine and right shoulder disorders were not incurred in or otherwise the result of active military service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his status post total left shoulder arthroplasty was denied as he is already receiving the maximum schedular evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran's right shoulder arthritis was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and is not related to his service-connected left shoulder disability. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal of the appeal on the issues of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder and service connection for a lumbar spine disorder.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for her service-connected shoulder and spine disabilities are being remanded to allow for additional development of the evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a left shoulder disorder and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was rated as 20 percent disabling for the period from May 1, 2005 to September 14, 2008. The Board found that he is entitled to a higher rating during this period.

The Veteran's service connection claims for multiple conditions, including retropatellar pain syndrome of the right knee, tendinitis of the right wrist, recurrent tinnitus, chronic vasomotor rhinosinusitis with a retention cyst of the left maxillary sinus, and other unspecified disorders have been granted.

The Veteran's combined rating for his service-connected disabilities is 40 percent, which does not meet the threshold criteria for a TDIU. The evidence does not reflect that he is unemployable due to these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his service-connected left shoulder disorder, GERD and hiatal hernia with gall bladder disease, and left ear hearing loss do not warrant increased ratings. The claims for varicose veins of the right and left lower extremities and post-phlebotic syndrome are also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left shoulder, spinal, and psychiatric disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for headaches, but denied his claims for right shoulder disorder, dizziness, numbness of hands, cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, a cervical spine disorder, a low back disorder, a left shoulder disorder, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The Veteran was granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae, left distal forearm scar, and right ear hearing loss with noncompensable evaluations assigned to each.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and entitlement to a rating in excess of 30 percent for his left scapular-vertebral region disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for TDIU.